O Lord God, you are the holy lawgiver, you are the salvation of your people.

By your Spirit renew us in your covenant of love,

and train us to care tenderly for all our neighbors,

through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. Amen.

–Evangelical Lutheran Worship (2006), page 51

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The Assigned Readings:

Deuteronomy 6:1-9, 20-25 (Monday)

Deuteronomy 10:10-22 (Tuesday)

Proverbs 119:41-48 (Wednesday)

Psalm 119:41-48 (All Days)

James 2:8-13 (Monday)

James 2:14-26 (Tuesday)

Matthew 19:16-22 (Wednesday)

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I shall continue to keep your law;

I shall keep it for ever and ever.

I will walk at liberty,

because I study your commandments.

–Psalm 119:44-45, The Book of Common Prayer (1979)

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Rabbi Hillel summarized the Law of Moses by quoting the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), the order to love Yahweh with all one’s heart, soul, and might. Then he said,

The rest is commentary. Go and learn it.

We humans require “hooks” onto which to “hang” information. Hillel pointed to an excellent one. Much of the information, in the Law of Moses, consists of culturally specific examples of timeless principles. Many interpreters of that code miss this point, hence continued legalism while missing the point. Some have become lost in the trees and cannot see the forest.

The readings for these three days combine to reinforce a few theological points:

How we think of God influences how we think of people;

How we think influences how we act;

How we treat people matters to God;

To have only abstract theology is insufficient;

As I heard growing up, “our prayers must have feet;” and

We must eliminate spiritual barriers to trusting God.

These six points overlap, for, if we fear scarcity, for example, we might hoard in our self-interest and thereby deprive others of necessities. God will notice that reality.

All of us have spiritual barriers. One barrier for the man in Matthew 19:16-22 was wealth, which has functioned in that capacity for many people for a long time. Fear of vulnerability is among the most common barriers. This applies to the rich man in Matthew 19 because his wealth insulated him from certain stresses and other problems. To overcome this fear is a great challenge, especially if one has acculturated in a setting which encourages rugged individualism. The truth, of course, is that we all rely on each other and depend entirely on God. Yet the illusion of independence and self-sufficiency remains as a major obstacle to trusting in God. May we, by grace, find liberation from all barriers which separate us from a deeper relationship with God.

KENNETH RANDOLPH TAYLOR

SEPTEMBER 4, 2014 COMMON ERA

THE FEAST OF ALL CHRISTIAN PEACEMAKERS AND PEACE ACTIVISTS

THE FEAST OF ALBERT SCHWEITZER, MEDICAL MISSIONARY

THE FEAST OF PAUL JONES, EPISCOPAL BISHOP OF UTAH AND WITNESS FOR PEACE